It is a truism that only great wine can be made from great
grapes. But the growing of great grapes depends more on the “terroir”, a French
term for a combination of soil, climate, mineral components, topography, and
vine varieties; rather than the simple planting and growing of vines in any particular
spot. To locate a “terroir” that can provide you with great grapes is one of
the most important aspects of any vineyard at the point of its inception.

Margaret River is a wine region that extends from Cape
Naturaliste in the north to Cape Leeuwin in the south, an area that is ~100km
long by ~30km wide. It is recognised as a region that produces fine wine, but
the location of these great vine sites is diverse. This spatial spread of
excellent wines within a wide range of soils and microclimates had been
identified through the assignation of various wine precincts within the Margaret
River Appellation by John Gladstone, a pioneer of the wine industry in Western
Australia. These precincts are as below and go from warmer to colder, with a
few of the wineries that are located within each precinct listed:

Carbunup Precinct: Set predominantly in the rich
soils behind Geographe Bay this area has the largest plantings of the region but
very few cellar doors. Wineries of note in the region and that use the grapes
from the area include: Evans and Tate, Vasse Felix, Vasse River Wines and Becketts Flat.

Willyabrup Precinct: The first planted and the most
famous of the Margaret River appellation, Willyabrup provides some of the most
sublime wines made in Australia. Wineries of personal note from the area
include: Moss Wood, Cullens, Pierro, Woodlands, Gralyn, Juniper, Vasse Felix, Ashbrook, and Arlewood.

Treeton Precinct: The smallest and most inland
precinct of the region, this precinct is still underdeveloped due predominantly
to poorer soils and a greater area of natural bush within the district.
Wineries of note include: Treeton Estate, Brookwood Estate, and Palandri Wines.

Wallcliffe Precinct: This precinct rivals
Willyabrup for quality grapes with many famous wines of its own coming from this
precinct. Wineries of note include: Leeuwin Estate, Voyager Estate, Cape Mentelle, Minot, Redgate and Rosa Brook.

Karridale Precinct: Most southern, the coldest and
wettest precinct of the region, and perhaps the most at risk to vintage
variation. Wineries of note include: Three Hills, Hamelin Bay, and Rockfield.

Located within the Wallcliffe Precinct, Blue Poles Vineyard
has a longer ripening period than the more northern vineyards due to the cooler
temperatures during the growing season, an earlier sea breeze due to a
topographical quirk of the area and higher rainfall keeping soil temperatures
lower during early spring. These factors we believe will aid in ripening full
fruit flavors without the premature sugar development common in warmer climates,
and the structural integrity of fine tannins and elegant acid balance, giving
the resulting wine made from this site an opportunity to be of the highest
quality.